Daily Republican., 1887-06-17
CEcl&'S SUBSTITUTE
s-8Y OUINEvKRR.

NOW tiyu Will near some superb
singing. ssid Raynor Gaines ia an
UNDERGONE.
His companion. a handsome man of
thirty or whereabouts, looked up with
a faint smile, and q glow in his darx
eyes. Music was the thing that Leslie
Harper loved best, his allabsorbing
passion, the mistress of his heart.
He had cultivated the art in high
degree, AndSeatly worked as arduously
~ though it was with him a question
of futuTe gains, instead of his own
satisfaction.
1--WE are always sore Of rare treats
10 Mrs. MoI:l.,s rarlors." he answer.
led.
~ have never scen Miss Cecile De
Fere," ssid Esyror; Tin tact she 10
known by few,here, but she has the re-
putation Of being a charming artist
and beautiful .wsman. She never
sings publiely.-she is wealthy. they
say, and very proud; but Mrs. Worth
was dear friend o. her mother, and
that is why we.aye 60 favored. sup
pose"
A sudden hush lad fallen, a dark,
bearded man Was Aeen to take his
place at the piano, and then between
the silken curtains uhEt fell from the
frescoed arch q. the further end of the
spacious apartment, a. slender graceful
torn appeared.
There were folds of silver -hued sa-
tin trailing the floor, and wine.red
tulle looped upon its cleaning surface;
a marble white throat rose above
twisted vine OF si.very leaves, and
wreath of the same ,chsste design
shone amid the masses OF red. brown
hair.
Leslie, pleased by the artistic cos
tune. gazed inten,ly at the singer
ace; nor was he disappointed
Then the red lips parted, and a
|turst OF melody set the crystals above
|Quivering. How pure ard sweet was
tho voice, how expressive; there was
|sornething almost weird about II. and
the higher notes vibrated like the
tones OF harp.
Yet not the voice alone ,cntranced
Leslie; his gaze was rivetsd on the
sweet, earnest face, and there was a
look 10 his eyes no woman had ever
cad there before.
The slusic ceased, the singer had
gone, bet still he sat with that glow in
his eyes and his heart throbbing. 1t
was as tLongh Il spell had fallen upon
him.
Then there was stir, the murmur
1f voices; the guests were rising, and
Leslie heard his friends voice as he
spoke to their hostess; heard her re-
ply
miss De Fere has gone. l am
sorry. but she could not remain. 1t
was kind Of her to keep her promise,
and give me even that brief time. Is
not her voice exQuisite?"
Cecile DE Fere gone! Then gone
was Leslie's interest in Mrs. Worths
musicale.
lie saw many fair faces. but one that
was fairer than all to him fingered in
his memory, and he thought of naught
but that.
"what has happened to me?" he
asked himself, when he returned to
his rooms in the Albemarlc. Il be-
lieve l am bewitched"
lie did not think that a man who
had spent dozen years unscalhed by
the fire of many brilliant eyes, I'M
touched by the melody of many win
ming voices, could be conquered in
one moment by the power he had oft
made jest OF.
Cecile De Fere-the very name was
music. to him, and he longed for the
time when they should meet again.
Within the next few days, however,
he learned that the beautiful singer
had gone to the South, that her health
was not of the best, and her physicians
had advised the change.
Leslie was strangely restless during
the days that followed, and he was
glad when the winter season came to
an end.
He met RaynoriGaines one day, and
they went to the club house to dine to-
getner.
ibid you know Miss De Fere had
returned" asked Raynor. "That is,
she was in the city last week but l be-
lieve she has gone with Miss Worth to
Long Branch"
Leslie slipped his sherry and looked
very unconscious. but il WAS not a
week later that his name appeared on
the register of a hotel at the Branch,
where few pages back was written
miss Cecile De Fere."
In the carly evening he met Mrs.
Worth, and she greeted cordially the
man whose handsome face won for
her the friends his sterling qualities re-
tained.
When she spoke of Miss De Fere,
Leslie looked interested.
at would please me to be presented
to your FRIEND" he said in tones that
nearly betrayed his eagerness. 81
heard her sing once at your house, an Il
her voice charmed me as it did all
Iothers."
Mrs. Worth dropped her eyelides, and
la faint smile curved her lips.
Il will present you with pleasure"
|she said, and Leslie became conscious
of another's presence.
| He saw tall, stately form glide tc
Mrs. Worth's side, dark, brilliant
face, whose brunette beauty was en-
HANGED by toilet of amber and lace
and then, dazed and disappointed, hi
REALIZED that the Cecile De Fere who
stood there was not the Cecile of his
dreams.
She was beautiful-strikingly so-ir
that rich, glowing type that commands
! Admiration, but Leslie was in no mooG
to appreciate that beauty.
Yet nothing of his emotion was re-
Ivealed by his manner.
II read your SURPRISE" said Mrs
\ Worth. laughingly, "Cecile, Mr.
..ldecention. Imust tell You'-With {